Bobbin holder



L. W. PRAY BOBBIN HOLDER April s, 1960 Filed March l5, 1957 BOBBIN HOLDER Application March 15, 1957, Serial No. 646,368

Claims. (Cl. 242-1302) This invention relates to latching mechanisms and more particularly to means including a latching mechanism for suspending a bobbin in the creel of a spinning or roving frame.

In spinning and rovingframes bobbins containing yarn or roving to be drafted are suspended above the drafting elements by a latching suspension mechanism attached to the creel. Y vIt is desirable that the mechanism be easily accessible to the operator so that the removal of empty bobbins and their replacement with full ones may be easily and quickly accomplished. The latching mechanism should be positive in action so that'once a bobbin is placed in the creel it will remain there until the operator removes it and yet the latching mechanism should be easily operable so that the bobbin may Vbe attached to or removed'from the`creeliin a quick and simple manner. 1

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a positively acting but easily actuated mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a, compact bobbin suspension mechanism'which is easily. accessible within the creel. l

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple latching mechanism having few parts and requiring little or no maintenance.

Still another object yof the invention is to provide a latching mechanism which is inexpensive and which may be produced by mass production methods.

The invention provides a compact latching mechanism contained within a cylindrical casing or barrel and which is actuated by movement of the bobbin itself. Thus,

Patented Apr.. 5, 1960 cylindrical easing or barrel 18 is supported below the mounting socket by the pivot assembly. The barrel has ai rounded nose at the end opposite the pivot assembly so that a bobbin 22 may be more easily slid on to the barrel. An actuating sleeve 24 is mounted over an intermediate portion of the barrel. The barrel is manufactured in two pieces and is held together by a rivet 26.

Referring toFigure 2, the rivet 26, in addition to locking the two halves of the barrel together, acts as a pivot for two latch dogs 28. Each dog has a latch end 30 and a lock end 32.1-When locked in latching position. the latch ends 30 protrude through slots 34 in the urging the bobbin upward against the actuating member causes the locking mechanism inside the barrel to be rotated by a ratchet, the latch dogs being alternately locked and unlocked.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention in connection with several figures of the drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of the bobbin suspension mechanismcf the invention, the bobbin being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation sectional view of the bobbin suspension mechanism, with the latches locked to hold the bobbin securely in place;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the bobbin suspension mechanism with the locking means lifted by the bobbin;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the bobbin suspension means with the lock mechanism rotated such that the latch dogs are in unlocked position;

Fig. 7 is an exploded view of the bobbin suspension mechanism.

Referring to Fig. 1, the creel 10 is shown in dotted lines. A screw 12 is threaded into a mounting socket over the key 50 to firmly lock it to the sleeve.

barrel and coact with a tapered interior surface of the bobbin 22 to hold the bobbin securely attached to and suspended `from the creel. The dogs 28 are locked in place by the appropriately spaced walls 36 of a substantially rectangular 'slot 38 in the lower end of a ratchet member 40 which is urged downwardly by la spring 42 against a positioning stop 44. The walls 36 of the slot 38 are spaced at a distance approximately` equal to the width4 of a lock end 32 of the dogs and thus prevent rotation of the dogs about the pivot, a simple and eiective locking mechanism. This locking coaction of the slot walls and the dogs may be seen in the sectional View, Fig. 4.

The ratchet member 40 is rotated by the coaction of the slantedl surface of one of its upper teeth 46 and a cam surface 48 in the upper interior portion of the barrel. The ratchet 40 may be forced upwardly against the cam surface 48. by the top surface of the bobbin 22 acting against the sleeve 24 and the operating key 'Sti (as shown in Fig. 5). The operating key consists of two washerlike semi-circular halves, each having a key-like projection 52 extending inwardly towards the center. The projections 52 pass through slots '54 in the upper portion of the barrel 18 and fit into a circumferential groove 56 in the ratchet 40. The two halves of the operating key 50 are held together by the sleeve 24 which is tted over the barrel 18 after the latter has been riveted together. The lower portion 58 of the sleeve are spun The interrelationship of the sleeve 24, key 50, barrel 18 and ratchet 40 maybe seen in Fig. 3.

The bobbin 22 is shown locked on the barrel 18 in Pig. 2. To free the latch dogs 28 and permit removal of the bobbin, the bobbin is urged upwardly against the sleeve 24, forcing the ratchet 40 by means of the key 50 upwardly into `engagement with the cam surface 48. As the bobbin continues to move upward the ratchet is rotated through approximately 70 as seen in Fig. 5. Inthis position the lock ends 32 of the dogs are no longer confined by the slot 38 as the ratchet 4d is raised above the lock ends of the dogs. The dogs 2S are thus free to pivot and are in unlatched condition. As the bobbin 22 is lowered the spring 42 urges the ratchet 40 downwardly and a lower tooth 6i) engages the po sitioning stop 44 vand rotates the ratchet the additional distance necessary to provide a turn. The ratchet 40 comes to rest so that the slot walls 36 are substantially parallel to the dogs and do not impede pivoting, thus placing the bobbin holderin a stable, unlatched condition. With the ratchet 48 in this position a bobbin may be freely slid on or od the barrel 18.

The principal operating parts of the bobbin holder are shown in Fig. 7. The ratchet 40 is molded and may be made from a plastic material such as nylon. There are four upper teeth 46, each tooth having one vertical surface and one slanted surface, the slanted surface adapted to coact with the cam surface 48 in the interior of the barrel 18 and to rotate the ratchet as explained above. The interior of the. ratchet 40 is cut away .inthey vicinity of the upper teethlo receive the spring 42. The circumferential groove 56 in an intermediate portion of the ratchet 40 coacts with Vthe projections1:52.33@I the operating key Si) to provide the actuationfmeans::for-` the ratchet 40. In the lower portion of ratchet-.isf` then rectangular locking slot 38 and four positioning-cteethf 60. The surfaces of each of lthese teeth are inclined; at equal angles to the vertical. The teeth,eik-performey two functions: (a) rotation of the ratchet through'approximately 20 by coaction with the positional stop- 44 as the ratchet 4t) is lowered, and (b) preventionof rotation of the ratchet when the ratchet is in thejlowered; position, abutting the stop.

The barrel 18 is cast in two identicalhalves; each. 1

half having: an upper flared portion62 which'coac'ts` with the mounting socket 14 to provideta dust; seal 'to protect the pivot assembly 16; lappropriate grooving 64 to receive the pivot assembly 16; a cam;s'urfaee48; upper depressions 66 in each of ,the mating edges68 adapted to receive the projections 52 oftheoperating key 50; a triangular positioning, stop 44 positioned above a bushing 70 through which the rivet 26 is passed; van alignment plate 72 for a dog 28; a lower depression 74 in one of the mating edges 68 through which the latch end Si) of a dog may project; a tongue 76 and mating groove 78 to properly position the lower portions of the barrel one to another; and, in the outer surface, a countersink 80 adapted to receive the-head or base of the rivet 26. The dogs 28 are stamped from an appropriate material such as sheet metal and are identical to one another.

The bobbin holder is assembled as follows. The rivet 26 is placed through one of the bushings 70 of a barrel half, the pivot assembly 16, the spring 42 and the ratchet 40 are positioned in that half of the barrel and the two dogs, with latch ends opposed, are placed over the rivet. The second barrel half is then placed on top of. this assembly, andthe rivet is peened over to securely lock the two halves together. The two keys S0 are then placed so that projections 52 pass through the slots 54 formed by the upper depressions 66 and into the groove 56. The sleeve 24 is placed over the keys 50 and its fiange 5S is spun over such that the sleeve and keys are locked together as aunit. It is thus seen that a simple, inexpensive, and trouble free latching mechanism for supporting a bobbin in the creel has been provided. VModifications of the preferred embodiment, described above, will be obvious to thosev skilled in the art. The invention described and illustrated above as secured by these Letters Patents is defined in the following patent claims.`

I claim: V 1. A bobbin holder comprising a tubular barrel having first and second ends, means to support said barrel` at said first end, a slot in said barrel adjacent said second end, a dog having a latch end and a lock end, said dog being mounted within said barrel and adapted to pivot in `a. plane parallel 4to the axis of said barrel about a point intermediate said ends such that said latch end may protrude through said slot, locking means positioned in said barrel adjacent said lock end, a substantially rectangular, axially disposed slot in said locking means, said rectangular slot adapted to receive said lock end, said rectangular slot having two opposed parallel walls,

1 each wall having a length substantially greater than the width of said lock end, said walls spaced at a distance slightly greater than said width, and means to rotate said locking means.

2. The bobbin holder asclaimed in claim l wherein said means to rotate`said locking means comprises a cam surface formed in the interior of said barrel adjacent said first end, a plurality of teeth formed in said locking member, each of said teeth having a slanted surface adapted to cooperate with said cam surface, and means to move said locking means axially'of said barrel to force 'a tooth against said cam surface, thereby effecting rotation of said locking' means.

3. The bobbinv holder as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means to move said locking means axially includes a sleeve disposed about said barrel, said sleeve carrying a key which extends through an aperture in the wall of said barrel and is positioned in driving relationship with said locking means, said sleeve and said key being adapted to move axially of said barrel.

. 4. A bobbin holder comprising a barrel having a cylindrical wall portion, first and second slots in said wall portion, two latch dogs, each dog having a latch end and a lock end, said dogs being mounted within said barrel and each adapted to pivot about a point intermediate their said ends such that the latch end of one dog protrudes through said first slot, and the latch end of the other dog protrudes through said second slot in latching position and an axially movable locking means adapted to engage said lock ends to secure said dogs in latching position, wherein said locking means includes a slot defined by two opposed walls which are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of a lock end, said walls being adapted to secure said dogs in latching position when in contact with said lock ends.

5. ,The bobbin holder as claimed in claim 4 and furthery including means operable by the axial movement of said locking means to effect rotation of said locking means between a locking position and an unlocking position.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

